The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (“Department”) is proposing to amend License Agreement #LE23-038 between the Department and the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, which authorizes Licensee to conduct guided environmental education class trips and public boat tours at Hopatcong State Park.

Prior to initiating the amendment process, the Department is offering the opportunity for public comment on the proposed amendment.

Additional information about the proposed amendment may be found here.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (“Department”) is proposing to allow the Township of Knowlton (“Township”) to continue management, operation and maintenance of the historic Ramsaysburg Homestead (“Homestead”) in Knowlton Township, Warren County under a new 20-year lease.

Prior to initiating the new lease process, the NJDEP is offering the opportunity for public comment on the proposed lease.

Additional information about the proposed lease may be found here.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is proposing to sell the historic Deats, Case & Co Tenant House in Franklin Township, Hunterdon County at public auction, subject to a historic preservation easement to be held by the New Jersey Historic Trust.

Prior to initiating the sale process, the NJDEP is offering the opportunity for public comment on the proposed sale.

Additional information about the proposed sale may be found here.

One License Opportunity for a rowing storage at Long Pond Ironworks State Park in West Milford, Passaic County is now available:

Information about how to apply for the License may be found here.

Applications will be accepted until 4pm on April 1, 2026, or until an application has been received and accepted by the Department, whichever occurs sooner.

After completion of the public notice and comment process required by N.J.S.A. 13:1D-51 through –58, the State of New Jersey, Department of Environmental Protection (“NJDEP”), has requested that the State House Commission approve the principal terms of a new lease with SMI LL, LLC, an afficilate of Suntex Marinas Investors, LLC for the continued operation and improvement of the Liberty Landing Marina located within Liberty State Park.

This request will be heard by the State House Commission at its January 15, 2026 meeting.

Additional information about the proposed lease terms may be found here.

A farm lease opportunity is now available on the State Park Service Property.

For a listing of current opportunity, please click here: NJDEP| Office of Transactions and Public Land Administration | 2025 Farm Lease Opportunity

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is proposing to sell the historic Saxtonville Tavern in Delaware Township, Hunterdon County at public auction, subject to a historic preservation easement to be held by the New Jersey Historic Trust.  Prior to initiating the sale process, the NJDEP is offering the opportunity for public comment on the proposed sale.

Additional information about the proposed sale may be found here.

Various concession opportunities are now available in the New Jersey State Park System.

For a listing of current opportunities, please click here:  https://deptest.nj.gov/otpla/public-notices/#PLA-concessions

Throughout New Jersey, many municipal water systems are grappling with the need to install treatment facilities for their drinking water wells to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or other drinking water contaminants for which the Department has established maximum contaminant levels under the New Jersey Safe Drinking Water Act, N.J.S.A. 58:12A-1 et seq.

In many locations, municipal drinking water wells are located on municipally-owned land that is subject to restriction as Green Acres encumbered parkland.  In these locations, while operation of a preexisting well is not a violation of the Green Acres restrictions on the parkland, the installation of treatment equipment, facilities or other improvements to treat the drinking water from the well is not consistent with the Green Acres restrictions (which limit the use of the surrounding land to recreation and conservation purposes).  Under the current Green Acres rules at N.J.A.C. 7:36, construction of such treatment equipment, facilities and improvements constitutes a diversion of parkland.

Given the pressing need to address the public health concerns posed by PFAS and other drinking water contaminants as quickly as possible, on July 20, 2023, Governor Murphy signed legislation creating a process by which municipalities may apply for an exemption from the Green Acres diversion process for certain treatment equipment, facilities and/or improvements proposed to be installed on Green Acres encumbered parkland to serve a pre-existing drinking water well.  The legislation is codified at N.J.S.A. 13:8C-53a and may be found here.

OTPLA has now launched a form for requesting an exemption under N.J.S.A. 13:8C-53a.  The form may be found here:  https://deptest.nj.gov/otpla/public-land-compliance/water-treatment-facility-diversion-exemption-requests/.

Last modified on March 12th, 2025 at 10:43 am

Starting in late November 2022, the State of New Jersey, Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Transactions and Public Land Administration (OTPLA) conducted a series of stakeholder meetings to obtain public input on Subchapters 25 and 26 of the Green Acres Program rules, N.J.A.C. 7:36.  The Green Acres Program rules may be found at:  https://deptest.nj.gov/greenacres/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/pdf/njac7_36.pdf 

Subchapters 25 and 26 govern the maintenance of Green Acres encumbered parkland and other post-funding responsibilities, including the diversion and disposal application processes. The Green Acres rules are not set to expire until December 2025. However, since the Department has not made substantial changes to the rules since 2005, we plan to update the rules before they expire. As part of this update, we will be moving these two subchapters (25 and 26) into a new chapter specific to OTPLA.

Video recordings of the meetings, and additional information about topics that may be addressed in the rulemaking, may be found at: https://deptest.nj.gov/otpla/category/plc-public-notices/rulemaking-notices/

If you wish to comment on these subchapters, or have any questions about this rulemaking initiative, please send an email to us at otpla@deptest.nj.gov and include the word “Rulemaking” in the subject line.